


Cracking The Code

by ams75, IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: A.U., Rip Week 2019, RipFic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 07:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19389667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ams75/pseuds/ams75, https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: Private investigator Rip Hunter needs some computer help. Enter Gideon. A.U.





	Cracking The Code

**Author's Note:**

> Day 4 Ship Rip. An A.U. for TimeShip. Thank you, IncendiaGlacies for helping me write this fic!

His fingers drummed on his desk as Rip Hunter, Private Investigator, waited not so patiently for his important call to be answered in turn. Finally, someone picked up. 

“Hello?” the voice said. 

“Raymond Palmer?”

“Speaking.”

“This is Rip Hunter. Mayor Lance informed you of my urgent need for discreet assistance?”

“Yes, yes, he did! I’m a little caught up in the moment but you should be getting someone in the next hour or so. Promise.”

“I understood from Mr. Lance that you would personally attend to my problem.”

“I...I will do my best but it really is very busy today.”

“I see. Perhaps SharpeLance will be better suited to my needs. Good day.”

“No, no!” Ray yelled on the phone before Rip could hang up. “I’ll be there. Just-just give me an hour.”

Rip, relieved his ploy had worked, said graciously, “An hour. Looking forward to meeting you in person. Good-bye.” SharpeLance, albeit well rated, didn’t suit his needs.

“Good bye.”

Rip hung up and waited.

****

An hour later the doorbell rang and Rip went to answer the door, seeing a woman standing outside. 

“Mr. Hunter?” she asked. 

He frowned as he opened the door. “You are not Raymond Palmer.”

“Very astute. No, I am not. I am Gideon. You needed some hacking help?” She let herself in before he could say another word. “Where’s the computer?”

“Show me your credentials first,” he said, blocking her way. Gideon, who?” He pulled his mobile out, ready to check with Mr. Lance about his guest.

“I happen to be one of true cofounders of Palmer Tech. I do most of the coding and Ray does most of the inventing. Now are you going to show me the computer or are you going to go to second rate SharpeLance?” She raised her eyebrow in challenge. 

“Show me your I.D.” He had been a police officer and still had friends who could help.

She stepped closer to him, entering his personal space. “And if I don’t?”

“Then I will find another firm and you may explain to your cofounders how you lost a lucrative contract.”

“You could find another firm but you would have to hope they’d be available on such short notice. You did after all sound very insistent on the phone that it had to be done quickly.”

“I.D.”

“Computer.”

“Then we have nothing more to discuss, Miss Gideon.”

“Very well then.” She shouldered her purse. “Good luck finding anyone that does as good work as we do. And explaining to Mayor Lance why you couldn’t finish your assignment.”

He glared at her, it had been a personal favour, not an assignment. She smiled back graciously. 

“The door is behind you. Use it.”

“My card. If you change your mind.” She handed him the small thick cardstock, a smirk on her face as she waited for his realization and flush of embarrassment. It always happened. 

_ Gideon Rider _

_ Palmer Technologies _

His eyes flicked to the card then back at her cool, self-assured smile. He stepped back and allowed her to enter properly.

“Thank you, Mr. Hunter.” She headed down the hall where his hand pointed and found the computer room. 

“I need you to go over my computer and see if you can hack in, and if so, if you can read my files.” They were all encrypted. 

“You can’t get onto your own computer?” she said with amusement.

“Of course I can.” Rip huffed. “I need to know if anyone else can.”

She hummed and started up the computer. He stood behind her and watched. Gideon typed away on the keyboard, code flying across the small black screen she had pulled up as she watched the files on the other side of the screen. Every once in a while she would smile or laugh a little. 

He died a little inside as the files flew. With a few final clicks she opened one up, opening up a picture of a woman and a boy. 

“Your family?” she asked conversationally, and a little smugly. 

He hadn’t secured that file, it was personal. “Yes. Try another one.”

Noticing how his face hardened, her own smile dropped, and she nodded. She tried another, pulling up a document with a lot of words. Too many for her to care to read. 

“Bollocks.”

“Would you like me to secure them properly for you?”

“Yes.” He left briefly to bring back a chair so he could sit beside her. “Show me how.”

She jumped a little at how close he came. Swallowing, she nodded and started explaining what she was doing and why. “Would you like to try the next one?”

He nodded and they changed places. Gideon watched him and placed a hand over his when he almost made a mistake. 

“Sorry,” she murmured. “Just...on the left.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

“No problem.” She watched as he worked on the others and then taught him a shortcut for all of them. “You’re a quick learner.”

Not quick enough or he wouldn’t have had this problem. “Thank you.”

Gideon cleared her throat and shifted her chair back. “Will you be needing anything else Mr. Hunter?”

He opened the picture again. “That was my wife, Miranda, and our son, Jonas.” He hoped to make up for his earlier rudeness.

“Was?” she asked softly. Then she shook her head. “Sorry, none of my business.”

“The investigators claimed it was an accident.” He knew better.

“And you think it was premeditated.”

“Yes.”

Gideon nodded and stood up. “I-I remember reading about you in the papers. Your cases…and the loss of your family. I’m sorry.”

“Thank you.” He exited the program. “You brought a laptop?”

“I did.”

“I want you to use yours to try to hack into mine.”

She thought about telling him it wouldn’t work. Never mind that her techniques were unhackable, but it was also hard to think outside the box when dealing with your own code. There was a certain bias. 

“I’ll try.”

“It’s another laptop. I’ll return when it’s on.” He stood up and disappeared, returning several minutes later.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

“Here we go,” she muttered, booting up her laptop and searching for the IP. He watched her closely, telling himself it was so he could learn. She bit her lip and frowned as she worked. 

It took longer this time. She chewed on her bottom lip and muttered under her breath as she worked. He waited patiently. With a huff, she pushed the laptop away and crossed her arms. 

“You win,” she mumbled. 

“Mmmmm?”

“I’m not saying it again.”

“You couldn’t locate it?”

“No.”

A small smile graced his lips. “Good.” He stood up. “Would you like a cup of coffee, tea, or something else?”

“Yes,” she stood up with him, “Chocolate.”

“We’ll have to go somewhere else for that, will your co-founder mind?”

“Do you think I need his permission for everything?”

“No but perhaps your workday isn’t over.”

“This is working. Technically.”

The small smile flitted across his lips once more. “Have you considered branching out?”

“Leave Palmer Tech?” She sounded aghast at the thought. 

“Perhaps take on some consulting work.”

Gideon started playing with her hair. “No, no, I’m not-I’m not very good with people. I’m sure you’ve noticed.” Given how stubborn she was when they just met. 

“I’m thinking of expanding my offered services, but I would need a computer expert. You would do nicely. I would talk to the clients, ascertain what’s needed then you’d provide it.”

Gideon opened her mouth and closed it. “I-I don’t know. I’d have to speak with Ray and-“ She frowned suddenly. “Was this all a test? I mean whoever shows up if they do well you’d offer them a job? Would you have offered Ray a job if he showed up?”

“I was curious how well Palmer Tech would do, yes.”

“If you already encrypted the second, why would you need me? You clearly have the means and skills.”

“Miranda helped me. The first one you tried was meant as a decoy, if anyone tries to hack me.”

Gideon scoffed and crossed her arms. “I suddenly feel very used.”

“Please don’t.”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Miranda was the touch of genius needed to secure the second one. I needed to find someone else.”

“And you couldn’t ask like a normal person? You had to get the mayor involved?”

“When I was on the force, he was my Captain. It was a simple favour.”

“What I showed you, how to encrypt your files. You already knew that, didn’t you?” Gideon shook her head. “I’ve never felt so bloody stupid in my life! It’s not a feeling I particularly enjoy!”

“Some of it. Miranda showed me. You have the same spark of genius.”

“And she’s not around anymore,” Gideon said knowingly. 

“No.”

“Why now?”

“I’m getting rather well known in certain circles and I want the business. I need someone very talented to help, if I branch out.”

“Miranda taught you, that’s not enough?”

“No.”

“And if I say no?” she said quietly. 

“Then I thank you for your time, pay you generously and Mayor Lance will receive a commendation from me, praising Palmer Tech.”

Gideon nodded to herself. “Then...you have our information. I expect payment in twenty four hours. Good luck, Mr. Hunter.”

“I have your fee here, if you wish.”

“Yes.”

He pulled out his chequebook. “To Palmer Tech?”

“Gideon Rider.”

He nodded. “Two thousand?” It was quadruple her hourly rate.

“No. The agreed upon amount will be fine. It’s not like I could even break into your real account.“

“Nor can I.”

She paused suddenly. “Really?”

“Yes.”

“You have a password to access it though, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Gideon nodded and looked down. “Your Miranda was clearly brilliant. I hope you find someone worthy one day that can actually break in.”

“That’s a frightening thought.”

“Maybe.”

“Would you like to see if you can access the laptop if you had it?”

Gideon shifted from foot to foot. “Yes.” Her pride had been very bruised. 

“I’ll turn it off so you can try to crack the password.” He disappeared and returned shortly with the second laptop. He placed it on the desk and plugged it in.

Gideon got to work immediately, typing away furiously at the keyboard, ignoring Rip completely. He watched her, entranced. What felt like nearly an hour later, she raised her arms and cheered. 

“I did it!”

“Well done! See if you can access any files.”

Gideon clicked through them. She ended up clicking on and a video played of a little boy laughing. Gideon paused the video. “Seems I can access just fine.”

“Miranda must have added that file,” he said softly, as he gazed at Jonas. “To remind me I--” He cleared his throat. “Try another one, a document.”

She clicked on a file and pulled up a police report from one of his client cases. He frowned, that shouldn’t have happened. Gideon looked at him with a smile that dropped when she saw his face. 

“You look surprised. You didn’t think I could do it.”

“It was supposed to be encrypted.”

“Yes. And it’s my job to make and break encryptions.”

“You have the knack Miranda did.”

Gideon looked down, unsure of what to say to that. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Computers are always easier than people. No algorithm to understand people.”

“You have redeemed yourself. Accept the bonus. I’ll need them encrypted again, with an algorithm to change the encryption each time they’re opened, with a key I can remember so I will be able to access them.”

“That’s quite a bit of work for one sitting.”

“How long do you estimate it will take?”

“Five meetings at least. I’m guessing you won’t allow me to take the laptop with me, try and get it back to you faster?”

“I’d rather the work be done here. How long will each meeting last?”

“An hour or so each?”

“You can’t stay two hours?”

“If time permits.”

“When can you start?”

“How’s Saturday?”

“Too far away but acceptable. What time should I expect you?”

“How’s eleven?”

“Perfect. I’ll serve you lunch after.”

“And let’s not forget my fee of chocolate,” she reminded him. “Honestly, what respectable household doesn’t have chocolate?”

He smiled at her. “That was your first mistake, thinking this is a respectable household.”

“Well, you should see to it that you have chocolate the next time I stop by.” She swallowed nervously and swayed a little. “And maybe I’ll...reconsider your offer. For the proper price, that is.”

He pulled out the chequebook. “I’ll add a little extra and you bring the chocolate, so I’ll know what to pick up.”

“That would be acceptable, I suppose.”

He wrote out a cheque and tore it neatly out. “I’m curious, what would the proper price be?”

“Dinner.”

“Where would you like to go?”

Gideon looked up at him in surprise after putting away the cheque. “Oh, no. You don’t need to do that.”

“Friday night, eight o’clock? I’ll pick you up.”

“You don’t know where I live.”

“Gideon Rider? Fifteen Blue Jay Way, apartment 1228.”

“Stalker.”

“I admire your work. So did Miranda.”

Gideon looked down with a slight blush. “Thank you. And yes. Friday night.”

He held out his hand. “I’ll see you then.” He pulled out his card and handed it to her. “In case you need to reach me.”

“Thank you.” Gideon tucked the card away and made her way to the door. “I’ll see you Friday night, Mr. Hunter.”

“Friday night, Miss Rider.” He escorted her to the door and saw her out, before locking up again, imagining the possibilities that laid ahead. 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos are nice, comments are love. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this bit of fluff.


End file.
